Paving machines are commonly used to lay asphalt/concrete on roads, bridges, parking lots, and other construction sites. Such machines are generally supplied with hopper assemblies and conveyor portions that facilitate an intake, delivery, and a distribution of a quantity of a road forming material, such as asphalt, concrete, and bitumen, to form a road surface. Hopper assemblies in such machines are generally assembled as a twin hopper set, with each hopper facing each other and being positioned symmetrically on either sides of the conveyor portion. The twin hopper set is configured to switch between a lowered position and a raised position. Generally, the twin hopper set receives the road forming material in the lowered position of the hopper assembly, while in the raised position the twin hopper set facilitate transfer of the road forming material to the conveyor portion by gravity feed. Thereafter, the conveyor portion transfers the road forming material to an auger of the machine, in turn delivering the road forming material to the work site as a stockpile.
Each hopper includes an apron and an apron wing portion. Aprons and apron wing portions are generally pivotally attached to each of the hoppers. In the process of delivering the road forming material from the hoppers to the conveyor portion by gravity feed, the aprons typically simultaneously swing upwards relative to the hoppers so as to contain a transmission of the road forming material. However, as the delivery is in progress, it may happen that an outflow of the road forming material is refrained from being substantially entirely supplied to the conveyor portion. This is because the pivotal connection between the apron wing portions and the hopper is generally angled relative to the axis of swing that exists between the hoppers and the conveyor portion. As a result, a narrower path is defined for the road forming material to flow out of each of the hopper. Further, the pivotal connection between the apron wing portions and the hopper forms an acute-angled corner spot, where there is an increased chance for a portion of the road forming material to be unduly retained. Such a situation, when accompanied with the adhesive forces present in the road forming material, further lead to accumulation of the road forming material in the acute-angled corner spot and an inevitable wastage of the road forming material.
United States Patent Application US 20150132058 relates to an automated hopper and apron control system that assists an operator of the machine to work in an efficient manner. However, the '058 reference does not discuss any means by which road forming materials that is loaded into the hopper assembly are prevented from becoming stuck between the apron wing portions and the hoppers. Neither does the '058 reference disclose a system by which road forming materials may be substantially entirely transferred to the hopper assembly.
Accordingly, the system and method of the present disclosure solves one or more problems set forth above and other problems in the art.